Islamabad: Pakistan’s cabinet on Friday approved two anti-rape ordinances, which provide for chemical castration of rapists and trial of rape cases with the consent of the accused. The formation of special courts has been approved. This information came from a media report.
Chemical castration is a chemical process that can reduce or eliminate sexual arousal for a certain period or forever with the help of chemicals in a person’s body. The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Hearing) Ordinance 2020 and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 were approved at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Law Affairs chaired by Federal Law Minister Farooq Naseem on Thursday, Dawn news reported.
The ordinances were approved in principle by the federal cabinet on Tuesday. For first-time offenders or repeat offenders, chemical castration will be treated as a rehabilitation measure and the guilty consent will be sought. According to Law Minister Naseem, under international law, it is mandatory to get the consent of the guilty before castration. He said that if an order of chemical sterilization is given without consent then the guilty can challenge the order before the court.
The minister said that if a convict does not agree to castrate, he will be prosecuted under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) under which the court can sentence him to death, life imprisonment or 25 years in prison. He said that the decision of punishment depends on the court. Judges may order punishment under chemical castration or PPC. Naseem said the court may order castration for a limited period or lifetime.
The ordinances also provide for the formation of special courts to hear rape cases. Special prosecutors will also be appointed for special courts. According to the proposed laws, anti-rape cells will be set up under the chairmanship of a commissioner or deputy commissioner to ensure speedy registration of FIRs, medical investigations and forensic investigations. The cross-examination of the rape victim by the accused has also been stopped. Only the judge and the accused’s lawyer will be able to cross-examine the victim.
